1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector for well supporting when mounted on the printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Connector socket has been widely used in electrically mounting an IC chip to a motherboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,848 issued to Lai on Mar. 3, 1998 discloses a typical connector socket, and which is generally referred to as ZIF socket. In generally, the socket generally includes a base with a plurality of contacts assembled therein, and a cover moveably attached to the base. A lever along with a cam mechanism is arranged between the base and cover so as to drive the cover from a first position to a second position. When the lever is located in a vertical position, the cover is located at the first position, in which a hole in the cover is completely in align with a corresponding passageway in the base. In this position, a pin leg of a CPU can be inserted from the cover into the passageway without any engagement with the contact. When the CPU is properly seated on the cover, then the lever is moved from the vertical position to a horizontal position, and simultaneously driving the cover from the first position to the second position. During this process, the pin leg of the CPU is then in contact with the contact within the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,197 issued to Shirai on Feb. 21, 2006 discloses another type of connector socket, and which can be generally called LGA socket. As clearly shown in Figures, the socket generally includes a metal stiffener with a housing securely supported therein. Then a metal clip is pivotally assembled to the stiffener. On the other hand, a clip is pivotally assembled to the other side of the stiffener and when the clip is closed to the stiffener, the lever having a cam can lock the clip to a closed position. By this arrangement, if before the clip is closed, and a CPU is seated on the housing, then the clip will tightly press the CPU toward the housing ensuring proper electrical connection therebetween.
There is another type connector socket other those disclosed by Lai and Shirai. The socket generally includes a base with a plurality of contacts assembled therein. Different from Lai and Shirai as those sockets are soldered onto the motherboard, this socket is mounted onto the motherboard by compression-type of contact, or LGA type contact. In other word, when an IC chip is seated on the base, a fixture mounted on the motherboard will press against the IC chip so as to create an electrical path from IC chip to the contacts of the socket, and from the socket to the motherboard. No solder is used in this application.
The body further includes side walls extending upward from the base. If walls are numbered from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, then any two adjacent walls are used as a datum plane, while the other two adjacent walls, which are generally diagonal to those two datum plane. In those second pair walls, each is provided with a push finger projecting outward of 3rd and 4th wall providing biasing force toward opposite datum plane. For easy illustration, if 1st and 2nd walls are used as datum plane, then push fingers are formed on 3rd and 4th walls. The push finger formed on 3rd wall provides a biasing force toward 1st wall, while the push finger on 4th wall provides biasing force toward 2nd wall.
In use, IC chip is mounted onto the housing by firstly having two side wall of the IC chip link against 3rd and 4th walls such that the push fingers are pushed back to 3rd and 4th walls, and then the other sidewalls of the IC chip is seated within the housing. After the IC chip is well seated, the push fingers from 3rd and 4th walls will drive the IC chip toward 1st and 2nd walls so as to ensure proper alignment between pads under the IC chip and contact tips within the socket.
In generally, the push finger is integrally formed with the 3rd and 4th walls, while they are cantilevered from a part of the walls. As it is cantilevered, it is vulnerable to break if care is not taken and excessive downward force is applied to a tip of the push fingers. As a result, a potential risk of breakage could be encountered. And therefore, improvement may be needed.